B.C. premier congratulates Trump, looks ahead to 'shared priorities'

Political leaders in British Columbia offered their congratulations to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, as concerns loom about the impact his administration will have on the province’s economy.

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to impose minimum tariffs of 10 per cent on all imports – something that raised significant alarm in B.C., given the U.S. is the province’s largest trading partner.

In a brief public message responding to Trump’s election victory, Premier David Eby said he’s “looking forward to working collaboratively on our shared priorities.”

“Americans have sent you to do a critically important job for them,” Eby wrote on social media, adding that British Columbians are “close neighbours with family, relationships and businesses on both sides.”

Conservative Leader John Rustad also congratulated the president-elect, while arguing B.C.’s top priority “must be to push America for progress on ending punitive softwood lumber tariffs.”

Over the summer, the U.S. government nearly doubled the duty on Canada’s softwood lumber imports, from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent.

At the time, B.C. Forestry Minister Bruce Ralson called the hike “unfair and unwarranted,” and vowed to “pursue litigation under (the) North American Free Trade Agreement, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, the U.S. Court of International Trade and at the World Trade Organization.”

Similar economic concerns have been expressed nationally about Trump’s second term, though Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland tried to reassure Canadians the morning after the election.

“Canada will be absolutely fine. We have a strong relationship with the United States, we have a strong relationship with President Trump,” Freeland said.

“Let’s remember that our trading relationship today is governed by the trade deal concluded by President Trump himself and his team. That’s really, really important.”